


That's what friends are for

by The Rosales Boy (FreakyMusicals_AS)



Series: Short Sotires form the Shadow World (One-shots) [1]
Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Cute, M/M, Platonic Romance, Sleepy Cuddles, soft romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-18
Packaged: 2021-03-27 15:21:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30124824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreakyMusicals_AS/pseuds/The%20Rosales%20Boy
Summary: William Herondale and James Carstairs are two young shadowhunters tied by the most sacred bond of their culture: the parabatai bond. They love each other deeply, they are each other's peace. Do they love each other platonically, as it must be? The only thing they know is that they don't know how to live without the other.
Relationships: Jem Carstairs/Will Herondale
Series: Short Sotires form the Shadow World (One-shots) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2216997
Kudos: 6





	That's what friends are for

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Español available: [Para eso están los amigos](https://archiveofourown.org/works/30148239) by [The Rosales Boy (FreakyMusicals_AS)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/FreakyMusicals_AS/pseuds/The%20Rosales%20Boy)



**That is what friends are for**

To Jem Carstairs nights were still full of endless nightmares. Even though he had been several years at the London Institute, living along with those people who had become his new family, evil dreams still haunted him in the darkness and the moonlight reflexed on his silver hair didn’t seem to be enough for his protection. He stood awake playing the violin, aware of how anguished the melody sounded because of the bitter feelings that wrapped his soul and seemed to squish his heart into his chest. He was still woken up by his parent’s screams every time he managed to fall asleep, and the little box that killed him and kept him alive equally still rested over his bedside table as if it were a cruel prank from the angel himself.

That was a full moon night, and somewhere in the surrounding land of the Institute, Jem thought he heard a pack of werewolves moving. The howling seemed so beautiful, almost musical, that Jem had to stop playing to pay attention to the melodies of the night. The wind whistled through the leaves of the trees and stirred his hair. He stepped out into the small balcony of his bedroom to clear his mind and saw him from there. Will Herondale, his best friend, his _Parabatai_ , was walking the path to the entrance of the Institute past midnight. Jem smiled when Will spotted him from afar and when he observed the way Will started changing his walk, pretending loss of balance as if he were actually drunk, Jem’s smile could only turn into a smirk. Will could try and pretend as much as he wanted, but he didn’t fool anyone, or at least, he didn’t fool Jem. Though Jessamine Lovelace did seemed to hate him, which Jem believed it was his best friend’s purpose: making every living being think that he was a son of a bitch; however, Jem attributed her behavior to the fact that, apparently, Jessamine hated everything that had to do with Nephilim, and only longed to be a lady very respected among the mundane.

Jem snorted with irritation, pushing Jessamine Lovelace out of his thoughts, not before feeling sorry for her. Jessamine was also a war orphan, just the same as he was himself, and even so, Jem was sure that denying who he was and his angelical duty was not the way he preferred to spend the short life he knew he’d have. Suddenly he started to feel weak, and the pain, the nightmares, came back for him though he knew he was still awake. He realized that Will should have entered the building because he could no longer see him in the huge garden. It seemed easier to focus on Will instead on the fact that his head was spinning as if he were falling down through a gap and that he felt as nauseous as if he were on a boat with no destination on a restless ocean. He watched the clock, worried, and knew exactly what was happening to him: lack of _Ying fen_. He tried to walk the few steps that separated him from his bedside table, from that drug that he needed so badly… but his feet didn’t respond, and everything around him turned dark.

* * *

Will was tripping intentionally against the walls and occasionally a lamp of witchlight into the hallway, making sure that every inhabitant of the Institute heard that the prodigal son arrived drunk once again late at night, though it wasn’t true. He had bought some fairy perfume, just in case he ran into somebody on his way. It was a special detail that had occurred to him while joking with Jem about how getting laid with a Seelie should leave you smelling like pines and mango. The perfume Will had was made out of roses essence that, even if he hated the sweetish smell permeating his nose, it was strong enough to cover up the stench of warlocks’ wine (which was what he’d say he had drunk, even if it was completely false). It was very practical that that fairy perfume had saved him from having to drink a couple of glasses slowly so he wouldn’t get actually drunk, but his lie was convincing enough.

While passing in front of the door of Jem’s bedroom he was surprised about finding it completely quiet. He had seen the boy with his shining silver hair highlighted by the light of the full moon; he knew Jem was awake and, normally, Will could always listen to the beautiful (though sad) sound of his violin when he intentionally crashed against the wallpaper next to his door. Will ignored if Jem was capable of knowing whether he lied or he didn’t; the _parabatai_ rune was powerful enough so you could notice imminent danger, and Will could feel Jem’s mood changes, besides, Jem wasn’t a good liar neither a frequent one, so Will had no proof from his perspective to know for sure if that tie had helped Jem discover his scam. Anyways, if the guy knew it he seemed to agree with keeping it as a secret and had the prudence and kindness not to ask questions, which did nothing but increase the love that Will had for him to limits that he was never willing to admit if he had the chance to avoid it.

His shoulder hit squarely against the wall, just next to Jem’s door as always, though the noise he heard was much stronger than usual, and then, a few seconds later, his brain recognized the strong sound coming from inside the room. Will hastened to enter (the _parabatai_ rune aching on his chest) and saw what he was afraid of the most: Jem was lying on the ground, apparently unconscious, with one hand folded in an odd angle and the other clearly extended searching for his bedside table, making a petition Will understood immediately.

William Herondale was not stupid, and he knew how dangerous it was touching the _Ying fen_ because Jem had warned him not to several times, however, he didn’t care about anything but saving his friend. He lifted him gently, laid him on his bed, and, watching how pale he was and how his silver hair didn’t seem to shine anymore but looked like an old faded chain by years, he decided to finally do something. Will took the silver little box, uncovered it, and put it back onto the bedside table before directing his right hand wrapped in a handkerchief that served as a glove, while his left hand covered his nose and mouth. He smeared the silver dust all over his friend: he started on his neck and went down the bare chest. _Please, please, please. Jem, you have to wake up_. The color came back more intense in his hair rather than his skin, but Jem had always been so pale that Will used to always tease him saying that if he were any paler, he’d look like a vampire. Will felt Jem stir, restless, and he remembered that time when they were little kids, Jem had just arrived at de London Institute and he told him all about how the nightmares about the demon that attacked the Institute where he lived with his parents didn’t let him sleep; he seemed so worried and afraid of being alone in his room, holding a dagger so strongly that his knuckles turned the color of ivory. Will, haunted too by ghosts and demons from the past, approached him, took the dagger from his hand, and told him that, if he wanted, they could sleep together to defend each other from anything that dared come after them.

His childhood memories moved Will’s body before his mind knew what was happening. He had lied next to Jem and stroked his silvery hair so many times before and did it once again out of habit. He brought one of his hands to his chest, right where a few seconds before he had spread the _Ying fen_ himself, which had been already absorbed by the pores. He was surprised by how soft Jem’s skin was, and how steady his heartbeat felt against his palms. Jem opened his eyes and turned to look into Will’s dark deep blue ones slowly, confused, but then he smiled in that sweet way that only Jem could smile.

“I thought I recognized your heat, just like when we were kids,” said Jem, his voice now made a whisper, and he hugged Will looking for that comfort. Even though they had grown up, even they were no longer kids, their bodies seemed to keep the just spaces to fit like puzzle pieces. “I never thanked you for not making fun of me and supporting me instead. Did I ever tell you that only when you slept by my side I had no nightmares? None”

Will silenced Jem affectionately, a big smile painted on his face by hearing those words for the first time. Will too had only slept well when Jem was next to him. “That’s what friends are for”, he said in response and kissed Jem on the forehead, who had already fallen asleep.

**_The end._ **

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is the first fic ever I publish on this site. If you read it 'til the end, thank you very much, I appreciate your time. If you even went further and left a comment with your thoughts, I would be much more thankful because is through feedback that we can all grow and learn as writers and fanfickers. More stories coming soon... I hope.


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